


for the long haul

by realdefonge



Series: twitter drabble weekends [5]
Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drabble, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, I Tried, M/M, but this isn't even a drabble anymore, daehwi suffers coz of ongniel, flight attendant!ong, jaehwan god of chaos, kinda slowburn, pilot!niel, romcom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2020-03-18 01:59:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18976366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realdefonge/pseuds/realdefonge
Summary: Flight attendant Ong Seongwoo loathes the idea of being in a long-haul flight with the arrogant pilot Kang Daniel, who shares the same sentiment as him. Their co-workers, who are tired of their annoying asses, come up with a game just so they could avoid dealing with their flight crew members' feud.The game? Well, they must show their prowess by seducing each other throughout the flight, and the one who gives in first loses. As two, notorious fuckboys, it should be as easy as pie, or so they thought.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> -WN1 Airlines and Flight PD-101 obviously don't exist xD  
> -rated M for language  
> -I needed a lot of beer just to get through this  
> -I didn't have the strength to edit it properly so please forgive me for any mistakes  
> -I wish I was good at writing make out scenes  
> -idek anymore bye

He will never take a sip of alcohol again.

 

That's what Seongwoo thought as he played the video sent by his friends, who also happen to be his co-workers, on their group chat. There he was, face flushed and eyes half opened, giving an enthusiastic nod as he agreed to the game that his crazy friends came up with. Next to him was the spawn of the devil, Kang Daniel, who was also nodding while holding onto a glass of beer, the contents spilling as the young pilot swayed from side to side.

 

 

 

> _"You shall use your best, flirtatious moves on each other, and the first one to give in loses! The loser will treat the entire crew to a fancy dinner in Las Vegas,"_

 

"Fuckin' Kim Jaehwan," Seongwoo hissed under his breath as he watched Jaehwan state the mechanics in front of their drunk crew members, save for Minhyun and Sungwoon who had to stay sober to bring them home later and Jinyoung who was responsible for taking the video.

 

 

 

> _"What exactly is the standard for losing or giving in?"_

 

It was Daniel who asked, and Seongwoo wanted to kick his screen when he noticed how excited the pilot looked. "That idiot wasn't even as drunk as me! He should've protested!"

 

 

 

> _"A kiss? Let's just say that the first one to initiate a kiss is the loser. I expect the two of you to be honest about this. It's not like we'd be able to monitor you all the time to see if you've already...done things."_

 

Minhyun looked horrified after finishing his statement. He grabbed a bottle of soju from the table, only to put it back on its place after realizing that he doesn't drink alcohol. He frowned at himself for his own actions before reaching for a glass of water.

 

 

 

> _"Ah, I hate that arrogant pilot. I don't want to be in an 11-hour flight with him. I might end up strangling him,"_

 

Seongwoo face-palmed as he watched his blubbering mess on video. It was clear that he was too drunk to even know what the hell was going on.

 

 

 

> _"Exactly. It would be bad if you end up strangling the captain and put us all in danger. We want your first long-haul flight together to be as safe as possible."_

 

The look of horror was evident in Daehwi's eyes, although his lips were pursed up in a smile. As one of the newbies, seeing a respected Senior Cabin Crew Member (SCCM) and an equally respected pilot (who has recently been promoted as captain) throw insults at each other at every chance they get must have left a scar on his fragile heart.

 

 

 

> _"You are two of the most notorious flirts in this company. Like, you both manage to hook up with someone in every country you land on during the layovers. Why do you dislike each other so much when you're both so alike?"_

 

Seongwoo noticed how Daniel fell silent at the question. The pilot just glanced at drunk Seongwoo and chuckled indignantly.

 

 

> _"I just have to make him kiss me in order to win, right? This is gonna be easy. Once I activate my pheromones, no one would be able to resist my charms. Not even the almighty Ong Seongwoo."_

 

Seongwoo inhaled sharply at Daniel's statement. "This motherfu--" He grunted as he threw his phone on the space next to him and stared at the ceiling. The muffled sounds of cheering and teasing coming from his phone annoyed him so much that he angrily placed a pillow on top of the device to drown out the sounds.

 

Daniel was clearly taunting him, knowing all too well that he would see the video once he sobers up.

 

Seongwoo should know better than to give in. The wisest thing to do is to tell his co-workers that the game is null since the other party was drunk and that he'd rather jump off a cliff than to engage in a flirting battle with his worst enemy.

 

But despite knowing that he was just being taunted, the pilot's arrogant declaration still irked him. "I wouldn't be able to resist him? Where did he get that confidence?"

 

In the end, Ong Seongwoo gave in to pride (and perhaps, idiocy) and began typing on his phone.

 

"Bring it on."

 

* * *

 

"Hello, everyone. This is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard to Flight PD-101 bound for Las Vegas. Our flight time is 11 hours and 15 minutes, flying at an average altitude of 35,000 feet. The local time in Las Vegas is 11:30 in the evening. We will be arriving at 10:45 in the morning and the expected weather is sunny with a chance of rain later in the afternoon. On behalf of WN1 Airlines and the crew, I wish you an enjoyable stay. Now, please sit back and enjoy the flight."

 

"You look like you're in a good mood today, hyung," his first officer, Woojin, commented after Daniel made his usual PA through the intercom. "That's odd, for someone who's maneuvering a long-haul flight."

 

"There's a very fun challenge ahead of me," Daniel smiled to himself. "Of course I'd be in a good mood."

 

His co-captain, Minhyun, chuckled unbelievingly. "Are you really that excited to flirt with Seongwoo? I mean, you two are good at that, but I thought you'd rather have a fist fight than a flirting battle."

 

Jihoon, Minhyun's first officer, nodded in agreement. "I feel the same, hyung."

 

"It does look that way between us, doesn't it?" Daniel said cryptically, earning him questioning looks from his co-pilots. He just chuckled as he switched the autopilot on. "Hey, we're at cruising altitude already," he glanced at Minhyun behind him. "You can take your break with Jihoon now, hyung."

 

Since it's a long-haul flight, the cockpit crew consisted of two teams, with each team having one captain and one first officer. One team will take five hours of rest after takeoff, while the other team takes over the controls. For this flight, Minhyun and Jihoon's team will take a break first.

 

"Well then," Minhyun stood up from his seat and gave Daniel a pat on the shoulder. "I'll leave the cockpit in your care."

 

When Minhyun and Jihoon left, Daniel turned to Woojin who was sitting beside him, but the latter was busy talking to air traffic control through the radio system. He sighed as he leaned back on his seat and thought about what his co-pilots said earlier about him and Seongwoo.

 

While it's true that he's been exchanging verbal blows with Seongwoo ever since he got transferred to WN1 Airlines two years ago, he doesn't really hate the senior flight attendant.

 

In fact, it's the complete opposite.

 

For two years, he's been harboring feelings for Seongwoo. Feelings that he didn't expect to catch so easily. And by easy, we're talking about ' _right off the bat_ ' and ' _love at first sight_ ' type of easy.

 

Daniel wasn't really into romance. He preferred casual, purely physical relationships with no feelings involved. After all, he's young, hot, and successful. Why should he commit to someone when he has the capacity to fly around the world and explore various _cuisine_ s?

 

Despite living as a spontaneous playboy, he was actually quite dedicated to his career. Thanks to his innate talent and hard work, he was able to rise in the ranks within a short period of time. Five years after getting his Commercial Pilot License (CPL), he finally became a captain and got transferred to a five-star airline.

 

That's when he met Ong Seongwoo.

 

Even before his transfer, he has already heard rumors about a good-looking SCCM who also happens to be a playboy. During his welcome ceremony, it only took him a minute to spot the infamous flight attendant. Even from afar, it was hard not to notice him. He was in the bar area, sitting casually at one of the stools, one of his elbows resting on the counter and his head tilting to the side to meet the gaze of whoever he was talking to. ' _Probably one of his prospects for the night,_ ' Daniel thought in earnest.

 

He looked so ethereal in his black suit, with two buttons of his white undershirt undone. His bangs were swept neatly in the corner of his forehead, giving Daniel access to his beautiful face. Without knowing it, he was already absent-mindedly making his way towards the flight attendant, who locked eyes with him upon noticing his presence, making his heart skip a beat.

 

Daniel gulped. The flight attendant's eyes glistened in that semi-dark room, making them look like stars. Also, he had three moles beneath his eyes, and Daniel wanted to just reach out and trace his fingers on those moles to connect the dots.

 

He thought the rumors were exaggerated, but when he finally saw the famous SCCM, he realized that those words of praises were just understatements. Ong Seongwoo's beauty could not be defined by words.

 

Needless to say, Daniel was enchanted. He looked down at the guy whom Seongwoo was talking to, and thankfully, it was just Guanlin, one of his pilot juniors who had high respect for him. One whisk of his senior's head and the junior immediately got the signal. He stood up, bowed at Daniel, and zoomed out of sight, giving Daniel the opportunity to take his spot next to Seongwoo.

 

Despite being a bundle of nerves at that moment, Daniel gathered his confidence and tried to strike a conversation. He attempted to smooth talk his way into Seongwoo's heart (but at that time, Daniel actually just wanted to smooth talk his way into Seongwoo's pants), however, the world came crashing down on him not long after because his informant, also known as the _mother of all gossips_ , Yoon Jisung, forgot to tell him one, important detail about Ong Seongwoo.

 

 

> _"I hate pilots. I would never sleep with a pilot even if we're the last two people on earth."_

 

Seongwoo said those words with a sweet yet sarcastic smile on his face, causing Daniel to experience a mental breakdown for the first time in his life. He probably should've asked ' _Why?_ ' or said ' _I don't know why you feel that way but it's unfair to generalize all pilots,_ ' but being the romance amateur and prideful playboy that he was, he instead said:

 

 

> _"Ha! Well, it's not like you're all that. Are you looking down on me just because you're a bit good-looking? You're not the only fish in the sea."_

 

Daniel knew how childish he sounded, but at least that made the uninterested look on Seongwoo's face change into shock, which later turned into rage. He never thought the composed flight attendant would make that kind of face, and he found it cute and amusing.

 

They spent the whole night dissing each other, arguing on who's better between them, fighting over who gets to drink the alcohol that was served by the bartender because they both forgot who ordered it (in the end, the poor bartender just served another one to save himself), laughing at each other's hairstyles (even though they pretty much had the same, generic side-swept bangs hairstyle), comparing the sizes (of their feet), and so much more.

 

They got the attention of everyone else in the party for their heated (and mostly nonsense) arguments. From then on, the rest was history. They became a famous pair and were given various titles, such as the _Tom & Jerry of WN1 Airlines_, the _Two Who Must Not Cross Paths Or Else It Will Become An Annoying Day_ , the _Fuckboys Who Will Fuck Everyone Except Each Other_ , and the _OngNiel Is Science Team Because They Have Chemistry Despite It All_. Seongwoo hates the last title, contrary to Daniel who secretly loves it.

 

Daniel realized that the only way he could continue getting Seongwoo's attention was by annoying the latter. Teasing Seongwoo became a habit of his, something that he always looked forward to, because the flight attendant's reactions were always adorable. His face would contort in an animated way, his voice would sound dramatic, and his ears would turn red.

 

But above all, every once in a while, when Daniel suddenly finds himself laughing over Seongwoo's cute reactions, the latter would sometimes laugh with him, letting Daniel see his beautiful smile and hear the sound of his contagious laughter. Daniel considers those moments precious and worthwhile. He fed on those small moments, swallowed them and kept them in until they became the foundation for his ever-growing feelings.

 

He finally realized that he's completely fucked when he couldn't find joy or excitement in hooking up with people from other places anymore (because apparently, the first person that crosses his mind when he makes an attempt to flirt is none other than Ong Seongwoo).

 

It's been months since he has stopped his fuckboy activities, but he still pretends as if his fuckboy status is still active when he's in front of Seongwoo. It's either he wants to save his pride, or he wants to continue using that part of him as a way to argue with Seongwoo and continue their uncanny relationship, or both.

 

But a guy could only endure so much. He was about to give up (because his lonely dick hasn't had any action for the past eight months and the chances of his feelings getting reciprocated seem blurry) but then _God Jaehwan And His Grand Schemes To Bring Forth Chaos_ suddenly happened.

 

Long story short, the bet happened, Daniel agreed, Seongwoo agreed (via chat message), and thus, Daniel's final spurt, his _last hurrah_ , to find out whether or not he has a chance with Seongwoo, finally happened.

 

"Ah, somehow I'm nervous yet excited," Daniel said out loud unconsciously, earning him a look from Woojin.

 

"What was that, hyung?"

 

"Nothing," Daniel whistled innocently as he reached for the interphone and pressed a button on the audio control panel. He waited for a while before a cabin crew stationed in the rear galley finally picked up. "Hi. We'd like to have some coffee, please."

 

"And...let me guess...a pack of jellies for you, captain?"

 

Daniel stirred in his seat at the sound of Seongwoo's voice from the other line. He placed the phone a few inches away from his face and cleared his throat before answering. "You know me very well, hyung."

 

He heard a thud from the other line, followed by a yelp. Seongwoo must have hit one of his body parts on the counter after hearing the ' _hyung_ ' from Daniel. The flight attendant hated it whenever Daniel called him that, reminding him that they're not close enough for such endearments. "You have odd tastes. It's hard not to remember."

 

Daniel couldn't help but chuckle. It sounded like Seongwoo was gritting his teeth when he said those words, clearly desperate to scold Daniel for saying ' _hyung_ ' out of nowhere, but not having the will to do so because they are in the middle of a flirting battle. "I feel honored, hyung. I personally hope you'll deliver the coffee and jellies yourself. I can't wait to see your beautiful face."

 

"I feel the same," Seongwoo said through gritted teeth again. He sounded like he was really forcing the words out of his mouth. "We already saw each other during the briefing earlier but we just can't get enough of each other, huh?"

 

Daniel pursed his lips to stifle his giggles. He could feel Woojin judging him from the side, but he was too happy to care. "I guess we can't."

 

Seongwoo didn't say anything further and just hang up. Daniel burst out laughing as he placed the communication device down. Woojin shook his head and clicked his tongue at the captain's childishness. "You enjoy messing with Seongwoo-hyung, huh?"

 

"How can I not? His reactions are so cu-- _comical_ ,"  Daniel almost said _cute_ , but managed to change it at the last minute. He didn't want to sound like a whipped man in front of his first officer who still doesn't know about his secret feelings for the flight attendant. It was a good thing that Woojin just shrugged it off and went back to minding his own business.

 

A few minutes later, the interphone's call light blinked. Daniel picked it up in the speed of light, startling Woojin. He cleared his throat again, trying to sound as laid-back as possible. "Yes?"

 

"Permission to enter, captain."

 

The captain couldn't contain his smile once again. Seongwoo really delivered the orders himself. "Permission granted."

 

Daniel pressed the unlock toggle, allowing Seongwoo to access the keypad from the outside where he could input the code to enter the cockpit. A few seconds later, the door opened, and in came the flight attendant with a tray of coffee and a pack of jellies.

 

"How are you guys holding up?" Seongwoo asked as he placed the coffee in the cup holder situated in the space between Daniel and Woojin. As for the jellies (which he usually shoves angrily in Daniel's chest before stomping out of the cockpit), he gently placed the pack on the captain's lap, subtly sliding his slender fingers along one of his thighs (definitely on purpose) before pulling away with a smirk. Daniel shivered. Ong Seongwoo is now playing the game.

 

"Thanks," Daniel wanted to sound cool, but his voice came out like a whimper, probably still shaken up by the feeling of Seongwoo's fingers on his thigh a few seconds ago. He tried to recompose himself since it's still too early to lose. "Everything's fine and dandy, as usual."

 

"Good to know," Seongwoo said with a smile followed by an attempt at winking, which inevitably failed, because God knows he can't wink for his life and he just ends up squinting both eyes, making him look ridiculously cute instead of sexy. Seongwoo's ears turned red, and he looked like he wanted to redeem himself, but it was too late because Daniel already had both of his hands on his stomach and was already laughing hysterically.

 

"Hyung, give it up. You can't wink for shit," Daniel laughed so hard that he had to wipe away the tears forming in his eyes. "That wasn't sexy at all,"

 

"Shut up! I practiced all night for that,"

 

Daniel stopped laughing and stared at Seongwoo's flustered face. ' _Damn, you have no idea how badly I want to wrap my arms around you right now, you cute idiot,'_ he thought to himself as his eyes feasted on Seongwoo's beautiful features- from his doe eyes, to his button nose, to his thin lips, to his pretty moles- every single thing about him just makes Daniel want to sigh in admiration, but he still has to keep it in because again, he can't afford to lose.

 

"I feel so weirded out right now," Woojin said casually from the side. "I guess this is why some people say you have chemistry despite being mortal enemies? I can totally see it now and it's creeping me out a bit."

 

Seongwoo gaped at Woojin's statement. He clutched the tray on his chest and headed for the door. "Duty calls."

 

Before Seongwoo could completely exit the cockpit, Daniel turned his head and gave the flight attendant a proper wink. "See you again later, hyung."

 

* * *

 

Daniel whistled as he walked along the corridor. It's finally his turn to take a break, but instead of heading for the crew's resting area located in the aft section of the plane, he went to the galley where Seongwoo was arranging the supplies.

 

"Missed me, hyung?"

 

Instead of looking at him, Seongwoo just continued to tidy up the galley, lightly shoving Daniel out of the way so he could throw the trash on the compartment behind the pilot. "I just saw you five hours ago, captain."

 

"Hey, I'm on break right now. You can just address me comfortably, you know," Daniel said as he eyed Seongwoo's movements. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever heard you call me by my name."

 

Seongwoo stopped on his tracks. He placed the cup noodles he was holding on the drawer, then he leaned his palms against the countertop and looked back at Daniel. Based on the flight attendant's gaze, Daniel knew he was ready to play the game again.

 

"I haven't?" Seongwoo brought his arms up and folded them across his chest. "I didn't know it was such a big deal to you, _Niellie_."

 

Daniel froze when the nickname, which he wasn't really fond of, suddenly slipped out of Seongwoo's mouth in the sexiest way possible. The older's bright eyes turned alluring, and his lips were perked up in a seductive grin. He somehow made Daniel's innocent nickname sound profane.

 

And Daniel was so turned on by that.

 

"I-It's not like it was a big deal," Daniel gulped. Seongwoo's eyes were still on him, and it felt like the older was trying to bore a hole through his soul. Not knowing what to do, he just grabbed a bar of chocolate (he hates chocolates) from the nearby counter, tore it open, and began munching on it. "Don't mind me. I'm just here to eat this chocolate before I proceed to the resting quarters."

 

' _Goddamnit, Kang Daniel, you're so uncool right now,_ ' he mentally scolded himself. ' _You're not supposed to shy away from a flirting battle,_ '

 

Seongwoo's gaze turned back to normal as he shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said before resuming his work in the galley. "But can you please get out now? This room ain't big enough to accommodate your big body."

 

"But I'm not done yet," Daniel reasoned out as he pointed to his chocolate bar.

 

Seongwoo heaved out a resigned smile as he continued to arrange the supplies. "Whatever."

 

While munching on his chocolate, a question suddenly popped in Daniel's mind. It was a question that he never dared to bring up, but perhaps the chocolate had some sort of effect on him, because he finally got the nerve to ask, "Why do you hate pilots so much?"

 

Seongwoo stopped again, but this time, he didn't turn to face Daniel. Still, the look of pain in his eyes was immediately caught by the pilot, rousing his curiosity and at the same time, sending a pang through his heart (because after all, he likes Seongwoo, and it hurts him to see the older make an expression like that).

 

"I never said I hate them. I just said I'd never date nor sleep with them," Seongwoo's hands fumbled on the packs of coffee in the counter. "Anyway, that was just me being petty. It's a thing of the past now."

 

"That's right!" Daniel exclaimed, startling Seongwoo. "Don't be hurt by the past anymore... _please_." The last word came out as a whisper, and it actually softened Seongwoo's expression. "It annoys me to see that look on your face. It makes you look ugly."

 

Of course, Daniel was just saying that for the hell of it. Seongwoo would never look ugly in his eyes.

 

"It's not like I still think about it frequently," the older said with a chuckle. "But I can't help but feel a bit sad whenever it crosses my mind, I guess,"

 

Daniel wanted to say something, anything, to console Seongwoo, but he just ended up letting his eyes do the talking. The eye contact felt intimate, like they were just immersing themselves in each other's gaze. It almost felt as if they were eye-fucking. 

 

Still, Daniel wanted to talk it out, but just when he had finally found the words, the older suddenly speed-walked towards him, pinning him on the wall, making him forget all the things he wanted to say.

 

Because Seongwoo was so close that they were literally breathing on each other. That's when the probability dawned on Daniel.

 

As two people who have been engaging in purely physical relationships, there's only one way for them to release steam. Daniel could see it in Seongwoo's eyes which were clouded with frustration and want. Even so, there was something else about the older's gaze that told him it was more than that.

 

"Is the past still hurting you, hyung?" Daniel asked as he caressed Seongwoo's face. "Do you want me to help?"

 

Seongwoo's forehead knitted, like he was also confused by his own actions, although his eyes were eyeing Daniel's lips lustfully. "No, it's just...there's a bit of chocolate in the corner of your lips."

 

Daniel swallowed hard. If he could just break the tiny distance between them, Seongwoo would be his for the taking. But no matter how much he wanted to give in, he still held himself back, because he's not yet sure whether Seongwoo just wants to use him to let off some steam or if it's something more.

 

"Does this mean you're willing to lose the game, hyung?"

 

Seongwoo looked up at him wide-eyed, as if a bucket of cold water has been splashed onto him. Daniel immediately regretted asking the question.

 

"Right. The game," Seongwoo muttered as he stepped back and laughed, mostly to himself.

 

"Hyung--"

 

"I just remembered, I have to help Sungwoon-hyung and Jinyoung outside. There are so many cranky passengers to deal with."

 

Seongwoo didn't give Daniel the chance to say anything further because he immediately stepped out of the galley and went into the passengers' cabin.

 

When he was alone, Daniel knocked his head against the wall repeatedly and chanted, "You are so stupid, Kang Daniel."

 

* * *

 

In the end, it's just a game.

 

Seongwoo buried his face against the pillow and sighed. When it was finally his turn for the two-hour break time, he wasted no time and immediately went to the cabin crew's resting area, where several beds were placed so the flight attendants could get a few hours of sleep time during long-haul flights. He's been working nonstop for eight hours- serving the passengers, monitoring the other flight attendants, doing the routine check on the pilots, among other things, but he's been working especially hard for the past four hours, increasing his normal workload and keeping himself busy.

 

He actually did all that strenuous work voluntarily to keep his mind off of things, particularly his previous encounter with Daniel. The sly wolf actually managed to corner him, managed to bring out his weaknesses and pent up desires, only to remind him that everything's just a game.

 

"This is exactly why I stopped being a hopeless romantic and went down the fuckboy route!" Seongwoo tossed and turned around the small bed. "I let myself get carried away again!"

 

Seongwoo hated Daniel the moment his superiors announced that they've hired a new, promising pilot. He hated him, even more, when he met him during his welcoming party, where he arrogantly strode towards him with a smug look on his face. One look at him and Seongwoo knew right away that they were of the same kind.

 

Normally, Seongwoo would've been aroused, because sleeping with someone who shared the same traits as him (who also happens to be incredibly hot, on top of that) would've been fantastic.

 

But Daniel was a pilot. And Seongwoo vowed to never have anything to do with pilots (romantically and physically) ever again. After all, when he was once a naive, young flight attendant who believed in sappy romance, he gave his whole heart, mind, and body to a pilot, only to find out that he was just one of the pilot's countless hookups.

 

What made it more painful for Seongwoo was that he really thought what they had was real because the pilot was really sweet and kind to him. Seongwoo went ahead and executed a proposal (because he was really, _stupidly_ in love), only to get laughed at by the bastard pilot who said, " _I never thought you were this serious about our relationship._ "

 

After that, Seongwoo's preconceptions about love, romance, dating, and all that shit came crashing down. He played nothing but Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball for an entire month, much to the annoyance of his housemate, Jaehwan, and when he finally got tired of singing ' _You wre-e-ecked me!_ ' while crying his eyes out, he finally stepped out and declared his resolution to become a love-less, romance-less, fuckboy.

 

" _I will never get hurt as long as my heart's not involved!_ " was his proud statement as he drank with Jaehwan, who could only nod in agreement.

 

So he went on to leave his mark around the globe, not giving his hookups a chance to get his name and number after the deed, because there's simply no point. After a while, he became used to his ' _no strings attached_ ' lifestyle. He didn't have to worry about getting his heart broken because there were no commitments.

 

But Kang fuckin' Daniel came along.

 

He really, _really_ hates Daniel. And he hates him even more now. But more than his arrogance and the fact that he's a pilot, Seongwoo hates the way Daniel smiles so brightly at him sometimes, the way Daniel always laughs at his jokes like he's the funniest man to ever exist, the way Daniel looks at him so worriedly whenever he gets scolded by his superiors, the way Daniel takes care of him whenever he's drunk (although Seongwoo always pretends as if he's too drunk to remember it), the way Daniel softly pats his back whenever he's feeling down, only to fight with him right after just so he would cheer up, and so much more.

 

Everyone else could only see their bickerings, but behind the scenes, they actually have small moments like that. And he hates the fact that he secretly loves it.

 

And then one, random night, during their layover in a hotel in Japan, he went to the bar in the poolside area, and little did he know that Daniel was there for some late-night swimming. Seongwoo was just happily sipping on his cocktail at the bar when Daniel suddenly emerged from the pool in nothing but his swimming trunks, six-pack abs and arm muscles in full view. The pilot brushed his wet hair back, and the sight was too sexy for Seongwoo that the cocktail dripped from his mouth back to the glass.

 

He immediately wiped the liquid off when he noticed Daniel looking at him. The bastard had the audacity to wave cutely at him, not knowing how much his glorious body was affecting Seongwoo.

 

It was then that Seongwoo realized he's physically attracted to Daniel. It would've been fine if it just ended at the physical attraction stage, but one, random night (again), during one of their crew's drinking parties, Seongwoo got so drunk that he puked on Daniel's very expensive shirt, but instead of running away in pure disgust, the pilot assisted him to the men's room so he could continue to puke his guts out. Daniel then proceeded to clean them both and returned to their table with a stinky wet shirt and a crying Seongwoo slumped on his back.

 

Throughout that drunken escapade, Seongwoo was aware of what was happening, but he was too intoxicated to even feel any shame. When he sobered up the next day, he shamelessly asked Daniel if anything happened because he was too drunk to remember anything. The younger just smiled and said ' _Nothing happened so don't worry,_ ' which completely melted the flight attendant's already melting heart.

 

Seongwoo realized that Daniel may be an arrogant, annoying fuckboy on the surface, but deep inside, he's a sweet and caring puppy. That's when he started taking notice of Daniel's actions towards him. He started feeling unconscious around the younger, although he tried to hide it by bickering with him.

 

It didn't take long for Seongwoo to finally accept that he's completely fucked. There was just no way to deny it when Daniel kept invading his thoughts almost every second of the day. He even stopped his fuckboy activities because he just couldn't sleep with anyone anymore.

 

Because for the first time in a long while, he likes someone again. But Daniel is too similar to his past love. Both are fuckboys and both are pilots.

 

He tried his best to shake his feelings off because he didn't want to get hurt again. He even agreed to the ridiculous bet because he wanted to prove to himself that he can resist Kang Daniel. That he can get through this game with his heart still in place.

 

But he failed. His mind is in a disarray, his feelings are all over the place, and his heart can't seem to calm down.

 

He wanted to kiss Daniel so bad, especially when the younger caressed his face in such a soothing way earlier. But then Daniel reminded him that they're in the middle of a game, breaking Seongwoo out of his trance.

 

"Argh!" Feeling frustrated, Seongwoo sat up on the bed and pulled on his hair. He glanced at his wristwatch and realized that he just spent an hour and 40 minutes of his break time mulling over his heartache when he was supposed to take a nap.

 

He suddenly heard footsteps approaching the resting area. It's probably Daehwi, since he told the younger to wake him up 20 minutes before his break time ends so he could tidy himself up.

 

Seongwoo pushed the curtain aside, expecting to see Daehwi, but it wasn't the young flight attendant who appeared before him.

 

It was Daniel.

 

"The pilots' quarters...are on the other side," Seongwoo's voice faded out when Daniel bent down and placed his palms against the bed, trapping the flight attendant between his arms. "W-What are you doing here?"

 

Daniel looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes as he inched his face closer. "What else? I came here to lose."

 

Seongwoo felt himself go breathless. He thought he had already given up, but having Daniel this close to him, sharing the same look of desire as him- he couldn't help but go back to square one.

 

Despite feeling weak and nervous, Seongwoo still had the strength to say, "Thank goodness,"

 

Daniel smiled at him before finally leaning down to press their lips together.

 

The kiss was soft and sweet, much like his innocent, heart-melting, first kiss. He didn't expect Daniel to be that gentle because the pilot looked as if he was ready to ravage his mouth earlier (and Seongwoo was totally ready for that). But despite the unexpected gentleness, it still made Seongwoo's heart full because he had been anticipating it for so long. Just having their lips pressed together made him so happy that he let out an appreciative sigh, which (unfortunately, out of pure bliss) came out as a moan, sounding more erotic than he had initially aimed for.

 

The sound probably ignited the flames of desire within Daniel because not long after that, his plump lips were already nibbling on Seongwoo's lower lip, causing the latter to open his eyes in surprise, only to shut them close once again when Daniel's hands gently pushed him down the bed. Daniel's hands slid up to cradle his face, while Seongwoo's hands were on the back of Daniel's head, pulling the younger closer to deepen the kiss.

 

It didn't take long for their movements to turn desperate and erratic. Seongwoo moaned again when Daniel dipped his tongue inside his mouth, gliding it against his in a sinuating dance, making Seongwoo feel heady. It felt too good. _Insanely_ good.

 

Seongwoo has had his fair share of mind-blowing kisses, but Daniel was on a whole new level. The younger knew exactly what to do with his mouth, tongue, and hands. Seongwoo thought that if possible, he'd like to just kiss Daniel forever.

 

They parted for a while, faces flushed and breaths ragged. Daniel sat up to loosen his necktie and unbutton his uniform, while Seongwoo took some time to catch his breath. But Daniel was taking too long, and Seongwoo was growing impatient. The flight attendant propped up on his elbows and grunted, "Fuck, we don't have much time," before putting his hand on the younger's neck and pulling him back down for another frenzied kiss.

 

Daniel growled against his mouth when Seongwoo rolled his hips beneath him. He felt the younger's hardness prodding against his own, shifting lower until he felt the throbbing ache that made him squirm in need.

 

"D-Daniel..." Seongwoo hummed in between kisses. "I don't think--"

 

"Sunbaenim! Sorry I'm late!"

 

Seongwoo and Daniel were quick to roll away from each other at the sound of Daehwi's voice. They could've remained unseen if they closed the curtains before engaging in their heated make out session, but they didn't.

 

And so poor Daehwi could only open his mouth in shock as he stared at the captain and his senior flight attendant sitting on the opposite sides of the bed, with messy hairs, unbuttoned shirts, and swollen lips.

 

"It's okay...Daehwi-yah," Seongwoo chuckled weakly as he stood up and straightened his undershirt before grabbing his suit.

 

Daniel also stood up and stumbled for a second before regaining his footing. He tried to fix his necktie but his hands were too shaky that he just gave up. "Well, I better go 'cause I have to tend to my cock-- I mean, tend to the _cockpit_!" His voice croaked at the correction and he didn't want to deal with the embarrassment any further so he just zoomed past Daehwi and exited the resting area.

 

Daehwi's shocked expression escalated into a look of horror. The poor boy has seen and heard too much. "I'm not getting paid enough for this job."

 

* * *

 

"I got carried away again,"

 

Seongwoo slid down the tub until half of his face was underwater. He closed his eyes and tried to focus his attention on the sound of the classical music playing from his phone and the feeling of the warm water against his exhausted body, only to splash the water in frustration because his thoughts still swerved back to Daniel.

 

After getting interrupted by Daehwi earlier, Seongwoo had to use his remaining five minutes of break time to run to the lavatory and take care of his raging hard on.

 

He was disappointed that he couldn't go all the way with Daniel (and join the mile high club), but what was he expecting when they only had a few minutes to spare? He wanted to blame Daniel for coming in too late, but it's not like the younger is responsible for satiating Seongwoo's desires. Hell, he's not even sure if Daniel feels anything for him.

 

When they finally reached Las Vegas and saw each other again as they disembarked from the plane, they were quick to look away from each other. Even during the bus ride towards their designated hotel, they never spoke a word to each other (nor to anyone) except when Jaehwan finally asked the question:

 

 

> _"Who won?"_

 

To which Daniel casually replied:

 

 

> _"I lost."_

 

The entire crew hollered after that, much to Seongwoo's annoyance. Daniel told them that dinner's on him, as promised, making the crew holler in glee once again.

 

When they reached their hotels, Seongwoo immediately proceeded to his room and placed the ' _Do Not Disturb_ ' sign on his doorknob. Feeling fatigued, he laid down on his bed and fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already 7PM, and his phone was already bombarded with missed calls and group chat messages.

 

They were mostly from his crew members, asking him to come down to the hotel's restaurant for the free dinner courtesy of Daniel, but he didn't have the will to reply.

 

"This isn't relaxing at all," Seongwoo complained as he stepped out of the tub and wrapped his body with a bathrobe. He grabbed a small towel and proceeded to dry his hair, when the doorbell suddenly rang.

 

Feeling annoyed, Seongwoo headed for the door, opened it slightly and said, "There's clearly a Do Not Disturb sign on--"

 

He immediately pursed his lips when he saw Daniel standing on his doorway. "Hey, hyung,"

 

Seongwoo hesitated for a while before opening the door all the way through, allowing Daniel to step inside his room. "Game's over, captain. There's no need for that anymore,"

 

Daniel closed the door behind him and followed Seongwoo. "I was waiting for you in the restaurant but you never showed up."

 

Seongwoo took one of the seats in front of the mini table and Daniel took the one opposite him. "I was sleeping."

 

"Good for you," Daniel leaned back on his seat with his arms folded. "Because I definitely couldn't get any sleep after what happened between us earlier."

 

Seongwoo wheezed at Daniel's straightforwardness. "W-Why not? Surely, you could've handled finishing  _that_ alone." His eyes darted down to Daniel's crotch, making the younger straighten up in his seat.

 

"Yes, but..." Daniel coughed. "Anyway, that's not what I came here for."

 

"Then, what?"

 

"I never wanted to pry on the matter, because I know it must've left a deep scar on you, but I got really curious," Daniel's hands nervously fiddled on the hem of his shirt. "So I asked Jaehwan, and he told me about your past relationship with a pilot which didn't end well. Anyway, I just want to say I'm sorry for letting my curiosity get the best of me. I shouldn't have asked."

 

"Ah," Seongwoo looked down for a while, noting how Daniel's hands were now rubbed together anxiously. It wasn't really a big deal to him whether or not Daniel would find out about his past, because he has already moved on from it. He somehow felt touched that the younger actually cared enough to talk about the matter in such a careful way. "Don't worry about it. It's been years."

 

"But that sad look on your face earlier...wasn't it because of your past?"

 

Seongwoo fell silent. How could he tell Daniel that it was actually because he has feelings for him and he wants him so badly but he doesn't know whether the younger feels the same way? ' _Somehow, I feel embarrassed to say those things out of the blue,'_  he thought to himself.

 

"Hyung," Seongwoo looked back up and saw Daniel's eyes filled with worry. "I don't want you to make that kind of expression again."

 

"Uhm, why not?"

 

"Oh, come on," Daniel sighed in resignation. "I know you're not naive. You know I like you!"

 

Seongwoo froze because the truth is... _he doesn'_ t. After finally registering Daniel's confession, he covered his mouth with his hands. "Wait...you do?!"

 

"You don't know?!"

 

"What the fuck, _no_!" Seongwoo stood up from his seat in shock. "I mean...I was hoping you would...but I never thought you'd actually...oh my god..."

 

Daniel stood up as well. "Hyung, I even lost on purpose just so I could kiss you!"

 

"Well, fuckboys don't really need to like someone to kiss someone!"

 

"But I do!" Daniel exasperated. "I purposely annoyed you to get your attention, because there was no other way. The first thing you told me when we met was that you hated pilots, so I thought I never stood a chance. Also..." He took in some air before continuing. "I've never slept with anyone ever since I realized my feelings for you."

 

"Wow, that's--" Seongwoo paused to register the younger's words again. "So you like me. And here I thought I'd have to resign in order to escape this one-sided crush,"

 

Now it was Daniel's turn to be shocked. "You...you like me, too?!"

 

"I was making that sad face earlier because you looked too cute and I wanted to jump on you but I hesitated because you probably don't feel the same!"

 

Daniel stepped back dramatically, like he just heard something unbelievable. "Oh my God, you should've just jumped on me, hyung. What kind of idiots were we?"

 

"The worst kind," Seongwoo laughed in relief. It felt as if the thorns in his chest were finally removed and he can now breathe easily. To think that all those months of suffering could actually be resolved by just being honest. He looked at Daniel fondly, and even though he regretted not pursuing his feelings the minute he acknowledged them, what mattered to him the most was that he's finally in this moment with the younger. He's just really happy that Daniel feels the same. "So...is that all that you came here for?"

 

Daniel stepped forward, this time, with a playful smirk on his lips. "Of course not."

 

Seongwoo blurted his second "Thank goodness," for the day as Daniel wrapped him in his arms and took possession of his lips.

 

* * *

 

Daniel stirred awake and glanced at the sleeping figure beside him. Seongwoo's bare back looked too inviting so he went ahead and planted soft kisses on it, his lips traveling from the older's shoulders to his neck, where he left most of his kiss marks the night before.

 

Seongwoo's eyes fluttered open and he groggily said "Good morning," before snuggling against Daniel's chest.

 

"Good morning, hyung," Daniel bent down to give the older a peck on the lips. "We have to get up now or we'll miss the breakfast buffet."

 

"I don't have the strength to get up," Seongwoo whined. "My ass and legs are swollen. No, scratch that. My entire body is swollen. I need to stay in bed for the whole day to recover, so just order for breakfast in bed or something."

 

Daniel giggled as he wrapped his arms around Seongwoo's waist and pulled him closer, as if they weren't close enough already. "Whatever my boyfriend commands, I shall follow."

 

"Why you--" Seongwoo's face turned red at the label, but the smile on his face showed that he didn't mind at all. "You better behave today, Daniel. I can't even remember how many times we did it last night. You must be some kind of machine. My ass has never been this wrecked before."

 

"Sorry," Daniel bent down for another kiss. "I've been wanting you for so long that I couldn't hold back."

 

Seongwoo slapped his chest and laughed. "I feel flattered and above all, glorified, but I'm getting older and I'm not as sturdy as I used to be so you better take it easy next time."

 

"Got it. I'll also give you a massage later."

 

"Good," Seongwoo buried his face on Daniel's chest and sighed. "Oh, and we better treat Daehwi to expensive dinners for the rest of our lives."

 

"Sure. If he ever agrees to actually spend time with us ever again."  
  


They laughed at that and proceeded to enjoy their cuddling session.

 

On the other hand, at a far off distance (actually, just two floors down), Lee Daehwi, who was leisurely reading a book, suddenly felt the need to sneeze.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seongwoo and Daniel have finally been assigned to another long-haul flight together after a while, and both were looking forward to it until their crewmates propose a challenge for them-- one that is different from the first challenge they've had.
> 
> But aside from that, a certain passenger also comes into the picture, making the flight even more difficult than it already is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- this is set three years after the first chapter  
> \- behold, my holiday drabble which turned into a fic xD  
> \- if you're following me on twitter, then you probably know about the challenge, and I got 200+ likes so you get some kisseu scenes :3  
> \- BUT I love y'all so maaaybe it's more than just a kisseu? LOL (trust me tho, there's no smut)  
> \- I hope you'll enjoy this nonsense  
> \- HAPPY HOLIDAYS <3

Seongwoo tossed and turned around the bed for a while before deciding to slowly sit up. He grunted as he felt his lower body twitch in pain with every single movement. He sighed as he closed his eyes, then upon opening them once again, the person responsible for the pain appeared before him.

 

“Good morning,” Daniel greeted from across the room, with his bare upper body, a pair of track pants, and a tray of breakfast in hand.

 

“Good morning my ass,” Seongwoo huffed as he stretched his arms. He reached for the hand mirror on the bedside table and inspected his neck and chest. As expected, fresh marks have appeared next to old ones. It’s like Daniel’s really aiming to mark every part of his body until there’s no space left.

 

Daniel just smiled innocently as he placed the tray on the table. Then he sat at the edge of the bed and eyed Seongwoo’s lower body which was hidden under the covers. Then he went on to pat the older’s bum, like he’s petting a dog. “Good morning, Seongwoo-hyung’s ass,”

 

Seongwoo rolled his eyes and swatted Daniel’s hand away, however, the younger immediately caught his hand and brought it up to his lips, giving it a kiss. The gesture wasn’t anything new, but it still made Seongwoo’s heart melt. Despite his complaints, mornings with Daniel are indeed wonderful.

 

“Young ones sure have it easy,” Seongwoo grumbled when Daniel was finally done planting kisses on his hand. “Must be nice to have all that stamina. I told you time and time again to take it easy on this old man.”

 

Daniel snorted at that. “From what I recall, you were a begging mess last night. And I’m pretty sure you weren’t begging me to stop—”

 

Seongwoo quickly jumped forward to cover Daniel’s mouth. “Okay, that’s enough, captain!” Daniel raised an eyebrow in a teasing manner and Seongwoo almost wanted to bury himself somewhere. He knows that he becomes shameless in bed sometimes, but he always reasons out that it’s a _heat-of-the-moment_ thing. Even an ex-fuckboy like him can get embarrassed by his actions. 

 

Daniel gently removed the hand on his mouth, but not before giving it another kiss. “You’re only a year older, hyung.”

 

Seongwoo quickly pulled his hand back before it could get attacked by another round of kisses, not that he would mind. “Yeah, well there’s still an age gap.”

 

“Maybe you should join me in the gym again,” Daniel said. “Remember when you worked out for three months? You were so happy when you saw your abs forming,”

 

Oh, Seongwoo does remember. The result was astounding, but the process was so deadly that he wasn’t sure if it was all worth it. Besides, they weren’t always hitting the gym together since their schedules rarely matched. Days in the gym with Daniel were at least bearable, but he couldn’t stand doing the harsh workouts alone. In the end, he figured working out is not for him. 

 

He glanced at his stomach, the abdominal muscles nowhere to be found now. Just a flat surface which would’ve been completely smooth if not for the few bruise-like marks here and there. He looked up at Daniel with a pout and asked, “So would you like me better if I have abs?”

 

Daniel leaned closer to caress Seongwoo’s stomach, making the latter shiver against his touch. “Whether you have abs or flabs, I won't love you any less. You know that,”

 

Seongwoo whispered, “I know,” as he stared deep into Daniel’s eyes for a few seconds until he couldn’t hold back anymore. He pulled Daniel by the neck and pressed their lips together. 

 

Daniel was happy enough to comply as he responded to his boyfriend’s kisses. He pushed Seongwoo down the bed, but the latter immediately turned around, pinning Daniel underneath him. Seongwoo felt Daniel grin against his lips as their positions changed again, all while keeping their lips pressed against each other. 

 

They rolled around the bed like that, kissing fervently like nothing else mattered. Seongwoo almost wanted to ignore his aching lower body and just do the deed when Daniel suddenly pulled away. Seongwoo propped on his elbows and tried to chase his boyfriend’s lips once but he could only smooch air since Daniel was quick to roll off the bed. 

 

Seongwoo grumpily laid on his back and pulled the sheets up to cover his entire body. Still, he made sure Daniel could see the pout on his face. “You’ve changed, captain,” he groaned like a child throwing a tantrum. “You can resist me now.”

 

“Trust me, it’s still extremely difficult to resist you,” Daniel said as he stared at Seongwoo with that intense gaze which gave weight to his words. “But we have a long-haul flight today, remember? You were looking forward to this flight since it’s the first time in a while for us to fly together.”

 

It’s true that their schedules rarely matched, which was inevitable given their work. Because of that, there are times when they don’t see each other for weeks, or a month, at most. That’s why they try to make the most out of their time together. 

 

Seongwoo is mostly at Daniel’s place, because the last time he brought Daniel to his shared apartment, his housemates almost fainted after walking in on them making out in the kitchen. They decided it would be better to be safe than sorry, so they agreed to just meet up in Daniel’s apartment whenever they’re free. 

 

Of course, even those moments are rare since their schedules don’t add up. They usually just spend time together for a few hours before saying their goodbyes again. 

 

So when Daniel told Seongwoo he’d be manning a long-haul flight to Auckland the day before Christmas, Seongwoo remembered he was also scheduled for the same flight. He was beyond ecstatic, because he could spend more time with his boyfriend, albeit they’d be in their own work stations and probably wouldn’t see each other that much on the plane. 

 

The cockpit crew and cabin crew already conducted briefings for the past week prior to departure. For long-haul assignments, it’s necessary to get to know your crew members since you’ll be spending days together, but coincidentally, most of the crew members are their close friends, so the briefings often resulted in friendly conversations. They even had a gathering with the crew three days ago, where they discussed official and unofficial matters over drinks. 

 

The scenario gave Seongwoo a sense of deja vu, especially when Jaehwan began to blab some nonsense about another challenge.

 

 

> _“For the past three years, you’ve worked on short, medium, and long-haul flights together. I mean, it’s great that you’re enjoying your relationship, but please have some consideration for your crew mates. At least, try to control yourselves when we’re on-duty, alright?”_

 

Seongwoo and Daniel had always tried their best to be very careful when it came to showing their affections during flights. As the captain and chief flight attendant, they make sure to exhibit professionalism at work. It’s just that during the rare times they do lose control, despite the efforts they exert in finding a _safe_ corner, they always get caught by their crew members. However, they’re not in the mile high club yet, since they’ve never really gone all the way during flights. 

 

 

> _“I’d like to challenge you both to ignore each other during the flight, except when it comes to official work matters, of course. Whoever loses would do a sky jump at Auckland’s Sky Tower.”_

 

Seongwoo wanted to protest because he knew Jaehwan just wanted to take revenge after seeing his housemate making out with his boyfriend in their shared apartment, tainting his not-so-innocent eyes. But who would’ve thought that Daniel would actually accept the challenge right away?

 

 

> _“It would be fun, hyung. You always bragged that I’m the one who jumps on you first. Let’s see if that’s really true.”_

 

And so Seongwoo could only go along with the challenge. He just consoled himself with the thought that they have a 48-hour layover in Auckland, which means he’d be spending two days with Daniel there. 

 

He sighed as he remembered, then he sat and grabbed the robe from the bedside table as he eyed Daniel. “I _was_ excited, until my annoying housemate came up with the challenge.”

 

Daniel smirked as he began putting a shirt on. “Relax. We have 48 hours to ourselves during the layover. 11 hours on-board would pass by in a jiffy.”

 

“Then,” Seongwoo said as he sat at the edge of the bed and spread his arms out wide. “Let’s make the most out of the three remaining hours we have here,”

 

Daniel lowered his head and chuckled. He walked closer to Seongwoo and cupped the latter’s face in his palms. “Hmm...I’ve already taken a shower, but I’m willing to give you a bath as compensation for your aching, lower body.”

 

“As long as you don’t do anything that could actually add to the pain,”

 

Daniel winked as he scooped him up in his arms. “That, I cannot guarantee.”

 

* * *

  
  


Almost five hours into the flight and Daniel already missed Seongwoo. 

 

What frustrated him the most was knowing that Seongwoo is on the same flight, probably just a door away from him, and yet he has never seen his boyfriend for almost five hours straight. 

 

The last time he saw Seongwoo was on the bus, when they made their final pre-flight briefing and discussed the safety emergency procedures as well as the expected weather conditions. They really did well with their display of professionalism, to the point where their crew members were in awe. 

 

Still, he expected to at least see Seongwoo in the cockpit, whether to deliver their meals or do the routine check every 30 minutes. But it was almost time for his break and still no sign of Seongwoo. 

 

Jinyoung, who had just finished placing the fresh cups of coffee in the cup holders, was about to exit the cockpit when Daniel called for his attention. 

 

“Jinyoung-ah,”

 

Jinyoung turned back. “Captain?”

 

Daniel hesitated for a few seconds, but decided to just ask anyway. “Where is your SCCM? I haven’t seen him at all since we took off.”

 

He heard his First Officer, Guanlin, snort beside him. “Looks like you’re about to lose again this time, captain. I wasn’t there when you had your first challenge, so I must say, I’m excited to see how this will turn out.”

 

He glared at Guanlin before looking back at Jinyoung, waiting for the flight attendant to respond. 

 

Jinyoung gave him an amused look before answering. “Seongwoo-hyung took his three-hour break shortly after serving the in-flight meals. And right now, he’s kinda preoccupied because there’s a particular first-class passenger who keeps asking for him.”

 

Daniel flinched. “What? Who? Why?”

 

“I think they’re old friends or something,” Jinyoung said with a shrug. “That passenger looked pretty excited when he saw Seongwoo-hyung.”

 

Feeling satisfied after dropping that information, Jinyoung then made his graceful exit. 

 

Daniel was left restless and speechless. He kept shifting in his seat and even neglected the coffee he requested for. It has probably gone cold by now. 

 

Meanwhile, Guanlin was leisurely sipping on his own cup, entertained by the uneasiness that his captain was displaying. Daniel noticed this so he quickly glared at the young pilot and told him to just do his paperwork. 

 

A few minutes later, the relief crew finally came back from their four-hour rest. Daniel conducted a briefing with his Second In Command, Minhyun, and the First Officer, Woojin, regarding the current aircraft status and cabin condition. After that, he headed out of the cockpit with Guanlin. 

 

Right outside the cockpit was a steep staircase leading to the pilots’ resting quarters. Beside the staircase was a curtain, and beyond the curtain was the first-class section of the plane. 

 

Guanlin had already taken a few steps on the staircase when he looked back at Daniel. “Captain, are you not gonna sleep?”

 

Daniel kept his eyes on the curtain when he responded, “I’ll sleep later. I’ll go to the bar first for some refreshment,”

 

“Suit yourself,” Guanlin said as he continued to climb up. 

 

Daniel slowly pulled the curtain aside and walked along the corridor. It wasn’t really uncommon for pilots to enter the passengers’ area, especially in long-haul flights. He usually just goes to the on-board bar between the first-class and business class area, or sometimes, the galley to check on the cabin crew. 

 

As he walked, he was able to spot Seongwoo easily. His boyfriend was tending to a passenger, flashing his usual business smile. But upon closer inspection, Daniel noticed there was a hint of friendliness and familiarity in that smile. The passenger was even more obvious, with his annoying, all-out smile towards Seongwoo. 

 

Daniel’s eye twitched. He balled his hands into fists as he slowed his steps, eyeing the passenger as he did so. 

 

The passenger probably felt his deadly glare, since he looked up and locked eyes with him. He stared at Daniel for a while, then he flashed the pilot a smirk which was different from the cutesy smile he was giving Seongwoo. The passenger looked at Seongwoo again and reverted to that innocent smile, giving Daniel the shivers. 

 

Daniel gaped as he walked even slower. He waited for Seongwoo to notice him, since he was just an aisle away. However, even though he stopped for a split second, the flight attendant never spared him a glance. He also caught the passenger giving him another smug smile, much to his irritation. Daniel stomped out of that area and went to the bar, where Daehwi was stationed.

 

“What can I get for you, captain?” 

 

Daniel looked at Daehwi dejectedly and sighed. “Just a cup of coffee, please.”

 

Daehwi turned around to prepare his coffee, then paused to ask in a sweet and polite tone, “Do you want it to be as bitter as your expression right now, captain?”

 

Daniel’s elbow which rested on the countertop almost slid down, but he quickly held himself up. Since Daehwi was usually the unfortunate witness to their _indecency_ (which he has gotten used to by now), he’s allowed to throw such remarks to Seongwoo and Daniel. 

 

“Just one espresso shot. I still need to sleep later.”

 

Daniel craned his neck a bit to watch Seongwoo and his passenger, who were still engaging in a lively chat. He turned to Daehwi who had just placed a cup of coffee in front of him. “Do you happen to know who that passenger is?”

 

“Ah, you mean the passenger who’s being chummy with Seongwoo-hyung? That’s the president of the M18 Group, Kim Dowan-nim. He used to be a frequent flyer of this airline, but this is the first time we’ve seen him in six years,” Daehwi replied nonchalantly as he wiped the countertop. “If you’re curious whether he’s one of Seongwoo-hyung’s...past _bedmates,_ then no, he isn’t.”

 

During their previous dinner dates with Daehwi, they’d often cross paths with either Daniel’s or Seongwoo’s past (in Daehwi’s words) _bedmates._ They’d approach either one of them, say a few pleasantries, which are usually just _‘Hello’, ‘Remember me?’, ‘How have you been?’, ‘Oh, congrats on finally dating someone!’_ among other things. Seongwoo and Daniel would then talk about it once they leave, and Daehwi would get caught in the middle. 

 

Actually, they don’t really fight over it. They’ve both accepted that those people are parts of their spontaneous, past ways of living. Daniel would usually be calm on the outside, although he’d burn with jealousy on the inside. 

 

Seongwoo, on the other hand, is more vocal, and he’d usually throw a fit for a short period of time, which Daniel finds endearing. Seongwoo would ask to be pampered afterwards, and Daniel would gladly comply. He’s like a child when he’s jealous, contrary to being the _old man_ which he claims to be. 

 

“If he’s not a past fling,” Daniel said after being silent for a while. “Then what is he?”

 

“I don’t know if he can be considered a past fling, but he had a _thing_ with Seongwoo-hyung before. They were more like companions?”

 

Daniel gripped the mug on his hand, not minding the heat brought about by the steaming coffee. He has no idea what kind of companionship his boyfriend and that passenger had, but he’s determined to find out. 

 

* * *

  
  


Even after three hours, Seongwoo could still feel Daniel’s eyes on him. 

 

Earlier, while he was talking with his friend, Dowan, Daniel suddenly walked into the passengers’ area. Seongwoo figured it was time for the captain’s break. However, he felt a chill run through his spine, as if someone was watching him intently. Of course, he knew it was Daniel. But even when Daniel had reached the bar, Seongwoo still felt like he was under the watchful gaze of the captain. 

 

_‘What is wrong with him? Is that a tactic to make me lose?’_

 

He wanted to get out of Daniel’s field of vision so he excused himself from Dowan and tended to the other passengers. He busied himself by walking around to check on the passengers, the cabin crew, and the pilots in the cockpit. After that, he was about to walk back to the galley to serve another round of refreshments, when Dowan suddenly called out to him. 

 

“Seongwoo-sshi,”

 

Seongwoo turned to Dowan, whose chin was propped on his hands. “Dowan-sshi?”

 

“When you told me earlier that you’ve really gotten into a serious relationship, I must admit, I didn’t believe you at first,” Dowan chuckled. “But I guess a lot could really happen in six years.”

 

Dowan used to be a regular passenger in their airlines, but after taking over his father’s company, he started going on private jets for his overseas meetings. He explained earlier that he missed taking commercial flights so he booked one for a leisure trip to New Zealand. 

 

During his time as a regular, he formed an uncanny relationship with Seongwoo. He flirted a lot with the flight attendant, but the latter had always turned him down. One night, though, during a layover, they met at a club, and Seongwoo was feeling quite good that night so he didn’t push Dowan away like the usual. 

 

But Dowan was such a good listener aside from being a smooth talker, so Seongwoo ended up talking about his life problems with him—from his heartbreak which led to him living a no-strings-attached lifestyle, to his complaints about work. They actually spent an entire night together just talking about random things. 

 

They decided to meet again after that, and surprisingly enough, all their meetups just ended in chit chat. Both realized they enjoyed their platonic relationship, so contrary to everyone’s assumptions, the two of them were actually just good friends. 

 

They lost communication when Dowan took over the M18 Group, but when they met again earlier after six years of not seeing each other, there wasn’t a hint of awkwardness at all. It was just like seeing a brother again after a long time. 

 

“A lot has happened, indeed,” Seongwoo nodded. “But why didn’t you believe me when I said I have a boyfriend?”

 

Dowan laughed. “Fine, it’s not like I didn’t believe. Your face does have that deeply in-love glow so I thought it must be true, but I still found it hard to believe. After all, you said there’s no such thing as true love six years ago.”

 

“Well, that was before,”

 

“Yes,” Dowan eyed him for a while before giving him a teasing grin. “But I did not expect your boyfriend to be a pilot. If I remember correctly, you hated pilots to the core.”

 

Seongwoo’s eyes widened because he never really told Dowan that his boyfriend’s a pilot. “Wait...how did you know?”

 

“Just a rough guess,”

 

 _‘That’s too accurate for a guess,’_ Seongwoo almost wanted to say. He clutched the tray to his chest and laughed abashedly. “Haha, well, hate is such a strong word. Of course, not all pilots are—” He looked around then bent down so only Dowan could hear the next word. “— _assholes._ Ugh, sorry, it’s prohibited to curse while on-duty.”

 

Dowan covered his mouth with his hand and chuckled. “It’s fine. Anyway, let me take another rough guess. This pilot boyfriend of yours...I’m guessing he’s the jealous type?”

 

 _‘That’s so random but you’ve guessed it wrong,’_ Seongwoo thought. “Not really. I’m the one who gets jealous easily. He’s pretty much chill whenever he meets my... _exes.”_

 

Dowan leaned back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. “Oh, really?” He tapped his foot as he put on a vague smile, which made Seongwoo nervous for some reason, because Dowan is a kind person, but he can be mischievous sometimes. “Shall we test if it’s true?”

 

Seongwoo blinked. “What do you mean?”

 

Dowan stood up next to Seongwoo and placed his hands on the pockets of his suit. “I suddenly wanna go to the bar. Walk with me?”

 

“You can be really confusing sometimes, Dowan-sshi,” Seongwoo remarked. He began to walk along the aisle with Dowan following behind him. 

 

There are only a few passengers in the first and business class areas, so the bar has been empty since earlier, except when their captain walked in and decided to spend his precious break drinking coffee at the bar. 

 

Seongwoo focused his eyes elsewhere, but he could still feel Daniel watching him at every step. He wanted to avoid seeing Daniel as much as possible, because just looking at his face makes Seongwoo want to run to him and hold his hand under the table, steal kisses when no one’s around, or just talk about anything with him. That’s how they sneaked around whenever they had flights together before. 

 

But now he has to pretend that Daniel’s just their captain, nothing more. What’s the big deal about winning the challenge anyway? Is it worth all the trouble of avoiding each other?

 

Truthfully, Seongwoo didn’t care about winning. He just didn’t want to lose. 

 

Yes, it’s because of that damned Sky Tower. Just thinking about jumping from that tower is enough to make him faint. 

 

He got so distracted by the thought that he tripped on the platform. He almost fell, if not for Dowan quickly taking hold of his arm.

 

“Oops,” Dowan said as he helped Seongwoo straighten up. “Be careful, Seongwoo—”

 

“Why, look who’s here!”

 

Both Seongwoo and Dowan turned to the direction of the bar and saw Daniel hop off from his stool. He walked towards them with heavy steps and a sinister smile on his face. “Isn’t this Ong Seongwoo?”

 

Seongwoo raised an eyebrow at him in confusion. “What—”

 

Daniel suddenly placed his hands on Seongwoo’s shoulder, but what’s odd was that his eyes were on Dowan. “Isn’t this Ong Seongwoo, my amazing boyfriend, whom I’ve been dating for three years?” He shifted his gaze to Seongwoo and made a surprised expression. “Oh, it is!”

 

Seongwoo froze. He was so dumbfounded that he didn’t notice Jaehwan and Sungwoon watching them from the bar with Daehwi behind the counter. Both Jaehwan and Sungwoon were trying to suppress their laughter, while Daehwi was just shaking his head while taking deep breaths. 

 

 _“Pfft!”_ Dowan snorted beside Seongwoo as he slowly took a step back. “Your boyfriend is quite amusing, Seongwoo-sshi. I like him.”

 

Daniel glared as he stepped between Seongwoo and Dowan. “With all due respect, I don’t want you to like me... _sir.”_

 

Dowan laughed this time. “Still polite towards a passenger despite everything...hahaha! Good, good. Anyway, don’t worry. I don’t like you that way. What I meant was I like you for Seongwoo-sshi.”

 

Daniel was about to respond when Seongwoo suddenly pulled him aside. He massaged his temples and sighed. “Captain, what’s this about? Did you really waste your break time for this?”

 

Seongwoo was surprised when Daniel pouted with his brows knitted, like he had been wronged. It was an expression he had never seen before, and it was insanely cute that Seongwoo almost reached out to pinch his boyfriend’s cheeks. “This is not a waste of time. This...is very important!”

 

Seongwoo pursed his lips to prevent himself from smiling. With his hands on his hips, he huffed at Daniel. “We’ll talk about this later. For now, don’t you think it’s about time to return to the cockpit?”

 

“Ah!” Daniel jolted as he remembered that he spent his entire break time in the bar. “Right, I have to go back.”

 

Daniel was about to leave, when he suddenly turned to Seongwoo again and, without warning, planted a kiss on the flight attendant’s forehead. “Talk to you later, babe.” Then he smirked as he went on his way. He even made sure to give Dowan a look before rushing towards the cockpit. 

 

Seongwoo was stumped again. He didn’t even have the strength to scowl at Jaehwan and Sungwoon for laughing. 

 

Dowan had just finished laughing to his heart’s content when he looked at Seongwoo. He seemed satisfied and thoroughly amused. 

 

“Not the jealous type, huh?”

 

* * *

  
  


After a whole day of rest in their hotel, the entire crew finally went to the Sky Tower to witness Daniel’s punishment. They huddled behind the glass, while Daniel stood outside as the staff attached the harness on him. 

 

Back at the hotel, Seongwoo explained that Dowan is just a close friend. In fact, Dowan is already engaged. He hasn’t seen his fiancée in a month because the fiancée has business matters to take care of in Auckland, so Dowan decided to just go to the city and surprise him. 

 

Daniel felt relieved, but the relief only lasted for a day because the moment he reached the top of the Sky Tower, he finally realized what he had gotten himself into. 

 

He looked at Seongwoo who was standing next to Guanlin behind the glass. He put on his most pitiful face, hoping it could stir his boyfriend’s heart. 

 

Daniel didn’t expect it to work, but Seongwoo actually stepped outside and walked towards him. The older kept his eyes on him, though, like he’s afraid of looking down to see how high up they are. 

 

Daniel’s heart warmed at the thought of his boyfriend overcoming his fear of heights in open spaces just to walk to him. Daniel held out his hand and Seongwoo took it with a smile. 

 

“Since my baby looks this scared, I’m kinda glad I’m the one who lost,” Daniel said as he wrapped an arm around Seongwoo.

 

Seongwoo gently slapped his arm and laughed. “It’s your fault for misunderstanding. If you kept your cool, none of us would have to go through this.”

 

“It’s okay,” Daniel shrugged. “It’s hard to resist you, anyway.”

 

Seongwoo breathed out, then he suddenly cupped Daniel’s face in his palms. “Well, since you were bold enough to brag about our relationship earlier while on-duty, I have to even things out now.”

 

And before Daniel could even ask, Seongwoo had already kissed him on the lips, right in front of their co-workers, the staff around them, and a few tourists. 

 

When their lips parted, Daniel saw his boyfriend’s flushed face, and he was tempted to kiss him again, but Seongwoo took a step back and made a _fighting_ gesture with his fists. “I love you, Kang Daniel! You can do this!”

 

After that, Seongwoo quickly turned around and went back to his co-workers, who were clapping and whistling for them. Daniel stared into space for a while, then he lightly slapped his cheeks and told the staff he was ready. 

 

He stood at the edge of the Sky Tower, looked back at Seongwoo for a split second, then looked up at the sky. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and shouted:

 

 

“I love you, Ong Seongwoo!”

 

 

And with that, he did the 192-meter jump. Despite plunging 53 floors down at a gut-wrenching speed, Daniel was able to maintain the wide grin on his face. 


End file.
